Minister Amongi, Inspector General of police J.M Okoth Ochola awarded by ABETO.

 

Gender labour and Social Development minister and Member of Parliament Oyam South County, Hon. Betty Amongi has been awarded by Be Tolerant Organisation (ABETO) #peace Award as an Ambassador of Peace. 

The Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Amongi Betty Ongom, has today been honored with a Peace Award in recognition of her exemplary tolerant and reconciliatory approach to performing national duties.

Amongi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Oyam South constituency, was celebrated for being peaceful and understanding in the quest for national development.

“We have tracked her performance and observed that she employs a work method that promotes peace. You will recall that she was determined to bring peace back to northern Uganda during the Peace negotiations and she has carried on with promoting tolerance and reconciliation,” Moses Musana, the Chairman for Always be Tolerant Organisation (ABETO), a non-governmental organization, said.

The award ceremony was held at Protea Hotel in Kampala as part of the activities to mark the United Nations International Day of Tolerance, which is observed around the world every November 16. The day is used to educate people about the need for tolerance in society and to help them understand its negative effects.

In her acceptance speech, Minister Amongi noted that humanity is grounded in diversity along lines of religion, tribes, languages, beliefs, norms and values, among others, which are sometimes brewed into a recipe for intolerance.

“Because of the above, we are faced with so many struggles more than ever. Some groups of people have rode on the back of those aspects to spread messages of intolerance, hate and violence,” Amongi said.

She decried the resulting violent conflicts, internally displaced persons and the refugee crisis.

She underscored the importance of dialogue and positive engagement, promotion of co-existence, stability and unity.

“When we appreciate the above fundamentals, we will spread messages of tolerance with a deeper understanding of other perspectives, respect and promote peace,” She added.

ABETO was formed in 1996 as a non-Government Organisation following a call from her Majesty the Queen of England during the Commonwealth general assembly in 1995 in Harare Zimbabwe. At the assembly, the Queen cited the Rwanda genocide to call for tolerance. Since then the ABETO has promoted tolerance as a key factor for co-existence. The organization has also since extended its scope to the international level.

Among the international awardees of the ABETO Peace Award is former South African President and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela.

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The Inspector General of  Police, J.M Okoth-Ochola awarded the Peace and Tolerance prize from ABETO. 

The award was recieved by SCP Enanga Fred on behalf of the IGP at a function held at PROTEA Hotel in Kampala. 

Below is the IGPs remarks upon being recognized 

Remarks by the IGP upon receiving the ABETO Award on Peace and Tolerance. 

I receive this honor with deep gratitude and humility on a day that doubles as the International Day of Peace and Tolerance. Let me start by extending special thanks to the Chief Guest, UNESCO and all its great partners, all other nominees for this Prestigious Award, for having honored us with your presence. Special regards also go to the Chairperson ABETO and your entire team for having nominated me for this distinction. 

I and my team shall forever remember and cherish your recognition and encouragement in our work. I also want to thank this beautiful assembly of outstanding personalities, who have honored us by their presence. 

As I accept with heartfelt gratitude this Prestigious Award, I must admit that it's a special privilege to me as an individual. But I also want you to see behind me, thousands of law enforcement personnel,  52,000 of them, the indomitable police advisory committee, and my family members who have greatly supported me and sacrificed a lot, for the safety of Ugandans. 

This announcement of the Peace and Tolerance Award, for the year, 2022, is a message of hope to all police officers, that they are not forgotten. Ladies and gentlemen,  it is on this very day last year, that we witnessed the deadly terrorist attack on CPS Kampala and Parliament Avenue. We want to remember the 4 civilians who died and also honor PC Kungu Amos, who died on duty, while manning the check point, and the 37 other police officers,  who suffered serious and critical injuries. 

Everyday our police officers demonstrate remarkable courage in the face of great danger and risk to personnel safety while in or off duty. For our fallen officer, his bravery on that day was remarkable and truly exemplifies the Uganda Police's core values. 

Thank you all because you have reminded me, and the entire law enforcement fraternity that the sacrifices they to their families and society, are recognized. We pledge to continue doing everything within our means to provide peace, safety and security to the public, because Peace and Tolerance is a brotherly disposition, a readiness to help, mercy towards those who are in distress and an understanding that human rights are due to all of us. Therefore, if we crave for freedom, justice,  equality before the law, it must be color blind and applicable to all.

Therefore, as I receive this Peace and Tolerance prize from ABETO,  I must admit that it has greatly energized and encouraged me, my family and the entire UPF,  we hope that it will make all human rights defenders, members of the criminal justice system and the public understand that law enforcers, are fellow human beings and that Peace, freedom, Tolerance, fairness, impartiality, integrity and diligence, can only exist if we are also included.